International

Want it Wednesday: Celine Phantom

I’ve been on a Celine kick for quite some time, and just as I thought my obsession begins to subside, I found a bag that makes it flare back up. I’ve gone back and forth trying to decide if I like the Celine Phantom, which is the most recent hit from the brand, and I have finally decided I want it.

With the middle of the bag matching the Luggage Tote that we know, the Celine Phantom expands in size with a more spacious east/west finish. When you zip the bag up, the shape comes back closer to the Luggage Tote, but I really like the bag left larger.

This exact version of the bag is the one I find myself wanting this Wednesday. The supple calf grey leather is offset with orange piping, and we all know Celine bags have their trim take center stage. The grey keeps this bag fashionable and wearable while the orange piping helps this bag jump out and grab attention. I am all for attention-grabbing accessories, and this bag will do just that. Price is around $3,000. I shop for my Celine bags with the lovely folks at Kirna Zabete (ask for Everest and tell him PurseBlog sent you!).

Hm, I think I’d like it better when zipped to a less wide style. The colour combo is great and I love the braided zipper pull.

agrasshopper

I saw this exact bag on sale at Overstock.com a month ago. It was going for around $2000+. Bummed that you missed it. you should check back. it’s pretty!!!

Sosti

Love!!!

nappy

i love it!!! i want it too!

rose60610

I don’t much care for the orange piping, but I like the style in grey.

Alexandra Davidoff

I think Celine is trying to imitate Balenciaga with the overhanging zipper ends.

Kirsten

This may be a stupid question, but is there a way to buy Celine totes online and know they’re real? I’ve seen some in the past on Bluefly, but only in colors I don’t like. Any sites with a decent collection of colors? If not, how else would you recommend a person in Los Angeles go about purchasing one?

Patricia

Call the Celine boutique in Florida and ask for Doris.

Peacer696

Barney’s in Scottsdale is amazing they’re all very friendly.

Jennie

Beautiful combo but I still prefer the Celine Luggage Tote!

Ingrid

I saw a woman in Toronto carrying this exact bag and I couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s a work of beauty!

@Alexandra Davidoff there are lots of bags out there that have overhanging zipper ends, it’s not exclusive to balenciaga. I think very few people would think the Phantom is copying balenciaga.

Alexandra Davidoff

@Ingrid you may say that there are ‘lots of bags out there that have overhanging zipper ends’ and that ‘it’s not exclusive to Balenciaga’ but you still have to acknowledge the fact that Balenciaga has made the overhanging zipper an iconic feature of their City, a bag coveted by style icons everywhere, and so fashionistas will always see the similarity between an imitation of the trend and compare it to Balenciaga.

Still, the overhanging zippers are the only thing that make this Celine interesting, as the orange piping cheapens it, the braided zipper pull of the front pocket cheapens it, and the grey just becomes sad to the eyes. I do not know how you are able to call it a ‘work of beauty,’ but then again everyone has their own version of taste.

Kat

I love the Balenciaga City as much as the next girl, and definitely consider it was one of the most iconic bags in recent history, but never once did I look at the Celine Phantom and think that the zipper pulls were an imitation of the Balenciaga’s. To be honest, I never even considered the overhanging zipper as an “iconic feature” of the City. There are a lot more other features of the City (the studs, the whip-stitched handles, the shoulder strap) that I would consider key to the look of the bag before the zipper pulls.

As you pointed out people will differ in their opinions and taste, hence, there is no need for you to be critical of someone else’s “version of taste” (i.e.: “I do not know how you are able to call it a â€˜work of beauty,â€™”) . As horribly preachy as this sounds, play nice. We’re just talking about handbags.

Nadia

These bags are to die for! Its definatly on my wish list

318Platinum

LOVE

Liviya Raymond

Clever design. The way it allows to create more space is unique. I love the shade of the leather, I don’t have anything like this before. I would love to get one.

Joe Parker

Clever design?! Absolutely its a unique Tatianna piece for my wife. Will gift it to my lady. It’s her birthday.

elizabeth

I love this color combo

J Umm

love this bag, the colour combo is not something i would naturally go for but i love it!

I love the color combination and the braided zipper. Other than that, I am not feeling it, the ‘wings’ look strange to me. Perhaps I need to see it someone carrying it?

gpc

Had this version and loved it, but returned it because I just couldn’t justify the price if I didn’t feel I could work it into my wardrobe. But, just recently got the Phantom in orange (a very wearble orange) and LOVE IT! I have an envelope luggage and I love the Phantom just as much!

alice23

Good for you!
It’s a beautiful bag, I saw it (and others in other colors too)the other day in La Rinascente a very big warehouse we have in the centre of Milan- Italy (They cost less, maybe 1500 Euros is it possible???). You can see that the designer worked by chloÃ¨ before. I find it nice but heavy to take and I hate heavy bags…

if you want to give a look to the store here is the linkhttp://www.rinascente.it/webapp/
the brands (Gucci, valentino, marc jacobs, balenciaga, givenchy, moschino, D&G and many more) are of course original. I can’t believe the price in USA is 3.000 US$ !!!
Ciao

kb

This color combination is beautiful. The piping really does it for me.

Alexandra Davidoff

@Kat, I did not mean for my comment, “I do not know how you are able to call it a ‘work of beauty’ (although I still DO NOT KNOW)” to be nasty. I am quite the Balenciaga fan-girl, so pardon me but I can get outspoken on the subject sometimes. The truth is that I just DO NOT think this Celine is a ‘work of beauty’, and yet I do like the original Celine luggage tote quite a lot (next to the Balenciaga City, the Celine luggage tote is my second favourite iconic bag! Especially in electric blue or red.).

The Phantom just looks cheap to me. On the flip side thank goodness Celine has fans who think it is a ‘work of beauty’ so that it will sell and earn them enough production money to continue making their other, and in my version of taste, more tasteful bags.

martiniandlace

@Alexandra…I have read some of your comments on other posts and you may not be aware of it but you do come across as contemptous of other peoples tastes in handbags. We all have such different,wonderful and intriguing tastes in bags -Thank Goodness :-) and it should just be entertaining to read the comments, criticize the bag but not be critical of people and their comments. Take Care.

Alexandra Davidoff

What ‘other posts’ are you referring to martiniandlace? I have never really criticized anyone’s intriguing tastes outside of this post. How was I ever contemptuous of other people’s tastes in any post other than maybe this one?

Sandra Rowley

I agree with several of the comments above, that zipped in a little would make the bag more attractive to me. The way it sits in the picture it kind of reminds me of Dumbo ears. Celine bags are very beautiful…but the debate between Celine and Balenciaga, I have to cast my vote to Balenciaga. Not sure the comparison based on the zipper is valid though.

AW

I love Celine and this style has always been a classic. But for some reason the unzipped look or maybe this particular shade of grey makes the bag look like an elephant with its ears sticking out. Not super attractive so personally I would go for one of the other colors.

Tiffany

Hope

FYI- the only zippers on the Celine Phantom tote are on the front pocket and on the inside pocket. The over hanging “zipper ends” are really laces. You can either tie them together to make the bag smaller or slide the smaller part into the metal latch for a looser but similar effect. So no need to argue over the “zipper ends” mimicking Balenciaga because they are not even the same thing. I have a Phantom in blue that I bought in Geneva and it is my everyday purse for Fall/winter this year. I absolutely love it. The quality is amaing even though a bit on the heavy side.

Alexandra Davidoff

Thanks for letting all of us less informed PurseBlog enthusiasts know the facts from the standpoint of a Phantom owner.

Sorry to mention this, but FYI – you misspelt “amazing”.

gpc

I am sure Hope didn’t “misspelt” it – just typed too fast and left the “z” out…

thequeenbee

I believe you meant to write “misspelled” instead of mimisspelt. …since correcting and criticizing seems to be whats on order this round.

Alexandra Davidoff

@thequeenbee – Aww….Google Chrome failed me! but I hope you realize I did write ‘misspelt’ (which should be an adjective describing the characteristic of the ‘misspelled’ word) not “mimisspelt”. If you correct someone, please jot down what was originally typed if correcting and criticizing is ‘whats’ (which should be what’s) on order.

Kat

Actually, your usage of “misspelt” as an adjective would be wrong as well. To illustrate, it’s the same as using “burnt” instead of “burned” if you say “You burnt the stew”. Since you started with “you” then correct sentence construction dictates that “misspelled”, the verb, should be used. Or you could have used the the past participle tense, i.e. “You have misspelt “amazing””.

I normally wouldn’t have taken the effort to correct you, but since you so condescendingly correct everyone else, I though I’d return the favor.

Alexandra Davidoff

@Kat, I did know my use of “misspelt” was wrong (courtesy of thequeenbee) before your condescending post attempted to have the last word. My last response was directed at thequeenbee who said I had spelled “mimisspelt…” when I had actually used “misspelt”. Let me illustrate: “mimisspelt” has an unnecessary ‘mi’ and so does not exist in the dictionary, while “misspelt” is an adjective that people can make mistakes with if they are not careful enough, i.e. ‘misspelled’ has been misspelt as “mimisspelt”. Get it?

And maybe I should not take the “effort” to respond to you, but I see that you struggle to grasp the meaning of sarcasm. Actually (to refer to an earlier post of yours) “As horribly preachy as this sounds, play nice. Weâ€™re just talking about handbags.” I don’t exactly think this is the best place to discuss the Dictionary…

BLynnT

I have to say – I don’t love this one. I looks like it wants to be structured and sleek, but left open, it misses that mark and falls closer to sloppy in my book. I think the Luggage Tote hits the more casual mark without looking slppy, but this one goes a bit too far… with that said, I hope Santa brings one for you, Megs!

pixiegirl

I love this bag!!! I just can’t justify the price for it. I love it over the regular luggage design wise. I love the floppy sides I’d leave them loose, love the two tone colors, and I love the braided zipper pull on the front pocket. If I won the lotto I’d get it in a heart beat! <3

Ericka

This is gorgeous. I love the grey with a pop. I wonder—is it very heavy empty?

louch

Don’t get this Celine thing AT ALL. Have seen them several times – they are ugly.

Karen

wow so gorgeous! I’m wondering the same as above! wonder if it’s heavy.

Shereen

I much prefer the Luggage tote. I’m not a fan of the way the bag looks when unzipped.

Kim

beautiful!

Laura

I think it’s pretty, but I get the feeling that carrying it every day may start to hurt the carrier’s arm. :)

jenny

kinda on the fence about this one, i think i’d have to see it in person first

fran

I love the simplicity of Celine bags

FashionIsMyHobby

Looks so stiff and uncomfortable to carry.

Jessica

Absolutely gorgeous

gpc

I have both a Luggage and a Phantom and I feel no difference in the weight. Not stiff at all – actually very soft and comfortable. An amazing bag – so much style and character and the craftmaship is AMA”Z”ING!

Hope

Thanks for correctly commenting that I typed too fast and the “z” did not register. I was on an iPad and these things do happen.;)

sara

i love the toned gray with the splotches of bright orange!

Cheryl

The bag looks like it has a face.

Mari

It’s soooo wide! I imagine carrying it would be slimming though!

annika

FYI- the only zippers on the Celine Phantom tote are on the front pocket and on the inside pocket. The over hanging â€œzipper endsâ€ are really laces. You can either tie them together to make the bag smaller or slide the smaller part into the metal latch for a looser but similar effect. So no need to argue over the â€œzipper endsâ€ mimicking Balenciaga because they are not even the same thing. I have a Phantom in blue that I bought in Geneva and it is my everyday purse for Fall/winter this year. I absolutely love it. The quality is amaing even though a bit on the heavy side. –> I have mine grey sans the orange lining! it’s a thing of beauty albeit truthfully, i have to admit it took me a lot of persuasion before purchasing this cuz it really does look like Dumbo. However, this Phantom is my third favorite…the first being, Balenciaga and the second, the LV Berkeley in Damier.

Simar

I love it!

katia

So beautifull! so edgy, its a bag that dresses you and you don’t need anything more!

Shana

I think I could be easily pick-pocketed with this. haha. Love it anyways

Lulu

Gorgeous!!!!

Kathryn

I used to not be a fan of Celine. For some reason the shape just didn’t appeal to me. But it’s definitely growing on me

I wish this bag was in the grey shown above but with the amazing Colbalt Blue color piping. I’d buy it in a minute!

Von

Hey All, I just came back not too long from Europe. I bought 2 Celine Phantoms, Black calf skin with croc. stamped leather.

Please let me know if you are interested! I have receipts and am happy to meet up for bag inspection. Willing to let go at cost price! :)

MJ

Hi,
Is the bag still available?
Thx

kiki

I got an email a couple of weeks ago about new arrivals from a french shop, they had the praline colour of this and in black. If anyone’s interested you can email them here: contact@departementfeminin.com

I have bought this on ebuypurses.com before. It is amazing. I love it soooooooo much!!!!!!
Quality is terribly goooooooooood~

Onkita

what material the purse has inside and what color? dose the original is the same?

PINKY

It is made of real leather.

http://www.go2bagtrade.com/ Peter

Celine Luggage Phantom in Supple Calfskin Gray 3341
Just $345

AAADiva

The bag is very nice but, a zipper would make it not so pick-pocketbook friendly.

BklynBabe

I’m sorry… that purse is fugly.

Luluhalabaloo

Got myself a charcoal phantom in the softish nubucky calf leather from Barney’s. Named it Raoul. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – this is either you love it or you don’t. Men seem to really love it for some reason! One couple was passing me by both looked at it and then the guy says to the girl “stop staring I’ll get you one”. It’s easy to carry, not heavy if you don’t load it up, and I think it will keep it’s value.